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 — Brand Strategy



Dunn-Edwards
Foundation

Nicholas Steinkamp · Hush Collaborative · Aug – Dec 2024

Research

The brief called for building a charitable pledge from scratch. Understanding the language of effective pledges, the difference between corporate and non-profit commitments, and where gaps existed. The client identified the trades as the space for charitable action, creating pathways for underrepresented groups. We identified three underrepresented groups within the research.

 Women
Highly discriminated against within the trades. Lack of representation as a barrier to entry, compounded by systemic silencing of abuse reporting.

Formerly Incarcerated People
For many re-entering the workforce, the trades are one of the few viable paths. Research focused on apprenticeship and education pipelines for this group.

Disadvantaged Youth
Trade work as a vehicle for community-building and experiential learning. Research surfaced strong evidence for positive outcomes from hands-on skills education.

Participatory Workshop

Greatest Review
The client imagined the best possible review a contractor could leave for a pledge participant — grounding
the abstract in a real outcome.

Tangible Test
What does the pledge look like in practice? Clients named the concrete actions and interactions they envisioned for participants.

Add It Up
Three prompts: the most powerful benefit for employers, the most unique attribute of the pledge, and the biggest reason stakeholders would engage.

The Outcome

Skills to Earn

Providing access to vocational training and apprenticeships in disadvantaged areas — a path to livelihood through craft.

Spaces to Learn

Enabling hands-on skill development through community beautification projects — learning by doing, in and for the community.

Together We Roll

A network of contractors committed to inclusive workspaces — structural change led from within the industry.
Three pledges rolled out in January 2025, each targeting a distinct demographic within the trades through the Dunn-Edwards Foundation.